Margaret O'Leary

WARNING: This
review is going to be lengthy - Marg is at keyboard and a bottle of cheap red
Italian plus a pack of Du Maurier regular is at hand.

After months of
planning and anticipation, our travel day had finally arrived. The four Murray
sisters, Jean, Nan, Jackie & Marg were headed off to our new adventure, a cruise
to Alaska on The Norwegian Wind!

Everything organized,
The Toronto Three spent the night before at Jean & Dave's, enjoyed a lovely meal
courtesy of chef Jean and, everything packed, list checked five times,
contraband booze safely snuggled in amongst the clothing and tickets in hand, we
were whisked to Pearson, courtesy of the R.D. Tufts Limo Service. Even though
none of us had slept really well, nothing was going to detract from our
adventure. We were afforded good seats (for Air Transat, aka Air Sardine). The
movie was enjoyable and previously unseen by any of us (A Beautiful Mind).
Flying time passed uneventfully et voila, we were in Vancouver at 9:00 am (local
time).

Our luggage was
collected in not so short order and a delightful free-lance ship-to-shore
transfer person, Denise, greeted us and a handful of others from the flight. Her
task was to transport the Air Transat passengers to the vessel via shuttle bus
and return for more passengers arriving throughout the day on various other
airlines. As The Calgary One was scheduled to arrive at 11:00 am local time and
as this first transfer of the day was ready to go at 10:30 am or so, there
seemed little point in all of us waiting at the airport for The Calgary One to
arrive, so, the two wicked step-sisters headed off to the ship while Cinderella
stayed back to wait. Sailing time was 5:00 pm.

After kissing her
sisters au revoir, sending them off to the Ball, clicking her heels twice and
turning around three times for luck, Cinderella was instantly thrust into a
Brother's Grimm Nightmare!!!!! As any dutiful sister would do, she checked the
nearest computer board to confirm the arrival time of Jackie's flight (via
West-Jet). The word on the board was cold and menacing - "CANCELLED"!!!!!

She wildly cast her
eyes over the rest of the board, struggling desperately to make sense of the
nonsensical. ALL flights from Calgary were CANCELLED!! The word was
unforgiving. It offered no alternative. It was final and unrelenting. Abject
horror slowly but evilly started to seep its way into her very being as she
staggered, blind with fear, to the West Jet counter. Alas, Prince Charming
Roger, with whom she would have struck a profoundly intimate relationship before
this surreal day closed, sadly confirmed the impossible. Indeed ALL flights, on
ALL airlines from Calgary, had been cancelled.

The author can do two
things here...continue on with the painful, step-by- step, day-long saga which
would take another three pages, or cut to the chase. When has a true Murray ever
been able to cut to the chase??

Nevermind, she will
try........Calgary awoke to 30 cm of a continuing snowfall on that particular
Monday morning, a spell, needless to say, cast by arch-enemy Voldemort! (oops, I
spoke his name aloud). Suffice to say that, between phone calls, rescheduled,
cancelled, rescheduled, de-iced, delayed and in-air circling aircraft, Jackie
and I spent the most horrendously stressful day pacing each of our respective
airports until the 11th hour, when she finally arrived at 4:15 pm, well after
the last transfer had left! " Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest
one of all"? Why it's Snow White, of course. The sight of her smiling face had
miraculously turned her into the most beautiful Maiden in the Land. (Just for a
couple of hours, mind... ). At 4: 26 pm, luggage collected, we promised "the
best tip of your life" to the nearest available Prince Valliant, if he could get
us to Ballantyne Pier in 20 minutes, a 40 minute drive and now rush-hour in the
Kingdom. He promised he could! Climbing aboard his trusty white stallion, we
underwent the "ride of our lives"! He kept his promise! We kept our promise!

Pinocchio & Jiminy
tripped over each other while seizing the luggage from the stallion, whereupon
they "poofed" it into the air to mysteriously reappear in our cabin. Flashing
dazzling smiles and credit cards at the Seven Dwarves dancing attendance at the
NCL counter, and happily waving Bon Voyage to Shrek, the carefree US Immigration
Office, we breathlessly ran on board at 4:56 pm.

At that very moment,
we spotted the two wicked stepsisters, having already enjoyed a leisurely and
decadent lunch, feigning their mock relief at the sight of us, while we two
virginal youngsters, suicidal with angst, looked behind us just as the last
remaining gangway was pulled on board.

We were blindly led
to our cabin, near collapse and helplessly watched, as the two very wicked and
very ugly step sisters feverishly ravaged the contents of our suitcases until
the purely medicinal liquid libation was found, whereupon they proceeded to pour
the demon juices down our unaware throats, the plot, of course, being to keep us
in our already stupefied state. Then it happened! In a heartbeat! We flew out of
the "Brother's Grimm Nightmare and were instantly transported into "Alice's
Wonderland".

Our first cocktail
hour was spent rehashing the stresses of the day, discovering in the end, of
course, that the two eldest had endured the wait via osmosis of long-engrained
sympatico sisterly-vibes, as painfully as the two youngest. It will be stated
again, but for posterity, let this first time be marked, right here and right
now. The very best of this adventure WITHOUT QUESTION will be of the four of us
spending time together. OK, enough of the sappiness... let's move it on!

Yakity, yakity,
yakity, yak!!!! We watched the port of Vancouver and the splendour of the Rocky
Mountains, sulphur pits, luxury condos and spectacular Lion's Gate Bridge recede
into the distance. A shower and change washed away all woes and we were off to
explore. Once upon a time, in far away land, there was a ship called The
Norwegian Wind...

THE SHIP

The Norwegian Wind,
built in 1993, now currently owed by Norwegian Cruise Line and their parent
company, Orient Star Line, registered in the Bahamas (aren't they all?) was
originally designed to be "stretched" at a later date, and in 1998 was literally
cut into two pieces vertically, an additional mid-section inserted and the now
three pieces welded back together to allow for more passengers, thus additional
revenue. The Wind holds 1750 passengers and several hundred crewmembers, so the
ratio is as generous as any luxury liner.

This "stretching",
while seamless to the aesthetic eye, resulted in wonkiness about the logistics
such that several oddities occur, unsuspectingly. Ok -ok, I can hear all of you
saying that no Murray sister in the Universe has any sense of direction anyway,
BUT the staircase that mysteriously stops at deck seven?? The pedestrian traffic
flow through The Terrance Restaurant to get to the other side?? The banks of
elevators (fore and aft) that do not necessarily go to the top?? The walk
through of the Theatre, which in effect was a short cut, but if a show was in
progress, was not available. Oddly, as if a deliberate maze was fixed, all
pathways seemed to take one though the Casino!! Go figure?? Took us three days,
oh all right, five days, to acclimatize, in spite of the forewarnings.

The ship is 12
stories, er, decks high!!! The bottom three are crew and staff accommodations as
well as loading/shipping/receiving/stowing areas. Decks four through eight were
passenger cabins and medical stations. We were on six, cabin numbers 6249 and
6250 on Port side, just slightly to the rear of the mid section. Deck six also
seemed to be the main embarkation and debarkation deck, although seven was used
for this purpose on occasion. Deck seven, mid-section was the Reception/Shore
Excursion/Concierge area, while the rest of deck seven had cabins. Deck seven
also had the first of the open outside areas, accommodating a jogging/walking
track and the lifeboats and lifeboat stations.

Decks nine and ten
were where all the action was and where we seemed to spend most of our time in
the evenings!!!! They offered the three major dining rooms, the casino, the
alternative dining room, the casino, the well-appointed theatre, the casino, the
lounges, the casino, the bars, the duty-free shops, and the casino.

Decks eleven and
twelve contained The Spa, The Health Club, the BBQ-pit and wrap-around, outside
deck areas for viewing/walking. The Sports Bar, located aft, even though
boisterous and cafeteria style, afforded the "funky" type lunches of
Quesadillas, Curries, Tapas, etc. More about food to come, AS IF we would skip
over the food part!!!!

The Observation
Lounge, totally encased in floor to ceiling glass at the bow of the ship was
amazing. From this vantage point the scenery was truly spectacular. It was also
on this deck that the three trolls tried to lose me one day, but I fooled them.
Hansle & Gretle style, I simply dropped bits of caviar and fois gras behind me,
which led me back to the Observation Lounge. Ha!

The crew were seldom
seen but the staff of hustling and bustling servers, waiters, stewards and
bartenders were a diverse and graciously good-natured lot. We enjoyed bantering
with many from the Philippines, Latvia and Rumania, some of whom send their
wages home to benefit their struggling families. We have instructed all friends,
acquaintances and family members that we prefer to be addressed by our new
title.....Madam!

"They" said it had a
plumbing problem. It did not, but for maybe twice, detecting the slightest hint
of a sewage odour for a passing moment, and a couple of times, while brushing of
teeth, figured either my breathe was "fishy", perhaps from the night before, or
something was in the water. "They" said it was threadbare! It was not! It was
continually being swabbed, painted, dusted, and cleaned.

In reality, it is a
moving hotel.

So much to tell - so
little time...hurry hurry Cinderella, before the memory fades...

THE CABIN AND
CABIN STAFF

A week and a half
before sailing, we were offered and instantly accepted a 13 Category upgrade
from Inside steerage JJ to Outside Oceanview C. Never having been ones to "look
a gift horse in the mouth" but, still a little sceptical, it proved a true, no
cost, genuine, dyed in the wool, no strings attached upgrade. While we would
have, no doubt, had a wonderful time regardless, this new stateroom afforded us
a window!!!! In addition, we now had a seating area, one pull out love sofa, one
roomy tub-type armchair and a large Ottoman, extra storage space, and a window!
Not a porthole, but a true, full-fledged picture window!! I would guess it to be
about 4.5 feet x 4.5 feet square.

Yolanda and Angel
came in twice a day, bearing fresh towels each time, plushy and plumpy, but
rather roughly hewn! The salt water perhaps? The ice bucket was always full.
The bed was made up in the morning and the bed was turned down in the evening,
with "jammies" sitting on top of the pillow, along with the foil wrapped
chocolate. The foil wrapped chocolate turned into chocolate dipped fresh
strawberries on the last night. The window was always kept very clean.

We leisurely fell
into a routine of ordering room service coffee around 7:00ish each morning,
where we would gather together to plan the days activities. We would repeat this
pattern at tail hour before preparing for the evening, all the while
enjoying the magnificent view of the inside Passage. The window and small
seating area were much appreciated enhancements to our trip.

Even though the
mattresses were just foam, the beds were surprisingly comfortable. While Jean &
Nan's were separate singles, Jackie's and mine was made up as a queen, the two
singles being placed together in such a solid manner that neither of us could
detect the others movements. Snow White was kind enough to not mention my
snoring. Did I mention it had a window?

THE PORTS OF CALL

Juneau (Wednesday,
May 8)

Our budget only
allowed for two excursions, the first one being the Jet-Boat Whale watching at
Juneau (Dolphin Tours, but booked through NCL). Juneau was the first port of
call and while quite chilly (45 degrees or so) it was a clear and sunny day. We
were two hours late getting into Juneau due to some tide fluctuations. We were
bussed to Auke Bay, about a thirty-minute ride, which also afforded a view of
Juneau, population 30,000. What we saw of Juneau itself was not much to look at,
but you can imagine the beauty of the surrounding scenery. It is accessible only
by boat or by plane and nestled in among mountains and glaciers. The boat
accommodated 30-35 people and was well enclosed. It would have been cosier but
for the thick-blooded, heathen Northern Scots sitting in front of us, who wanted
their window open all the time. While a little early in the season for whales,
we did spot two Humpbacks, well, actually only their tails and from a bit of a
distance. It was a little disappointing, but I must say that the crew,
especially the Naturalist on board, pulled out every possible stop to see more.
They were in constant communication with other tour boats and trading sighting
locations via radio throughout the entire time, which was extended by 30 minutes
or so due to their enthusiasm and determination. However, we were delighted to
see Harbour Seals, Bald Eagles, Sea Lions and the most frolicking school of Orka
Porpoises, who entertained us royally as they playfully swam along side, darting
underneath the boat and coming up on the other side! We were treated to an
unexpected snack of smoked salmon on a bagel and hot tea/coffee. On our return,
we stopped for a beer (Alaskan Brew of course) at the Red Dog Saloon, a "must
see" fun spot, teaming with atmosphere, even though tourist generated. We did a
bit of shopping (saving most of that for Ketchikan) and headed back to the ship.
The weather had turned colder and a hefty wind made the walk back to the vessel
a little challenging.

SKAGWAY/HAINES
(Thursday, May 9)

We were in Skagway
the next day and off to the White Pass Railroad for our second excursion.
Weather was still cool and now a little overcast, but not enough to impede the
magnificent view of the Pass. Before the tour, we stopped in at the White Pass
Train Station...it has lots of great photos of the gold rush period and train
memorabilia. WARNING - Do not buy the wooden train whistle there! As our
journey continued, Snow White (aka The Wicked Witch of the West) took great
delight in gleefully pointing out the continuing and steady price decline of the
item at each and every shop from there on, laughing insidiously and tauntingly,
until finally at Ketchikan, she climaxed, finding my US $6.00 purchase for US
$1.00 !!! Bugger off Jacq! We had chosen the afternoon trip on the advice of
others who suggested the mornings tend to be misty. It was also suggested that
we sit on the left-hand side of the train for better viewing, but found that it
didn't really matter. Once the summit is reached, the double seats are "flipped"
over and passengers are requested to switch sides for the descent, thus allowing
everyone equal viewing. On the way up, we waved our best wishes to a hearty
group of 12 guys (loading 24 cases of 24's) who were spending a stag night in a
cast-aside railcar, in celebration of their buddy's upcoming wedding.

At 3-1/2 hours, the
trip is a little long only in that the motion of the train on the return proved
to be comfortably lulling, almost enough to induce sleep. The historical
significance and points of interest might have been a little more
enthusiastically imparted by the unexciting narrator, but overall, would not
have missed it and will always recall it with some sense of wonder. The railway
is an engineering feat that was accomplished in very little time, at very high
risk and under extreme weather conditions. Perhaps a lesson in what man will do
to follow the quest for the money. A definite "must do". The town of Skagway,
population only 600, but swells to 2000 in tourist season, for me, was the
epitome of how a small gold-rush town in Alaska would look, and wished there was
more time to explore. Each shop on the main streets has the façade of an old
mining supply store. While we did dock at Haines later that evening, we decided
to forego and just enjoy the ship's activities

GLACIER BAY
(Friday, May 10)

Glacier Bay is what
Alaska is all about! The weather was warmer, 55ish, and it was a bright and
gloriously sunny day, where we were able to get on deck and enjoy the wonders of
nature. On arrival into the Bay proper, the vessel, sort of at a slow and gentle
idle, performed a 360 degree, four hour turn around to permit maximum, all angle
viewing. Although the glaciers were not as large as I had anticipated, their
untouched splendour and ice-blue colourations are breath taking. They rewarded
our "oos and ahss" of appreciation with several bouts of calving.... sights and
sounds not to be missed. First you hear the booming sound of ice as massive
hunks melt away from the main body, then you see the precarious slide into the
waters below ending with a thunderous splash!

The waters in the Bay
are filled with dredges of ice floes from the calving, such that when viewed in
unison with the crystal blue/white backdrop of the glaciers and the white cloud
sprinkled blue sky creates a blanket of serenity for which there are few words.
AWESOME!!!

Untouched by humans,
except for the tourist laden cruise/tour vessels, who can look but not touch,
and who must follow a myriad of very strictly enforced rules and regs while in
the Bay, we were pleased to learn that the USA is respecting and protecting this
environment. Upon entering Glacier Bay, at the southern end, a U.S. Forest
Ranger is tendered aboard and remains with the ship until tendering him back to
his home base on the ships departure from the Bay. His job is two-fold. He
ensures that the rules are being followed to the letter. He also gladly and
knowledgeably answers any questions the passengers may have about the Bay.

A bit of hysteria
occurred among the passengers when someone pointed out a seal, some distance off
starboard, lazily sunning himself on a floe. Their hushed squeals of childlike
excitement turned into a downright frenzy of euphoria, when, shortly after, a
bear was sighted in the frigid waters. With only his head visible in the water,
the brown bear was swimming at top speed and we watched in utter fascination as
he moved from starboard to port, right across the bow and only a few yards in
front of the ship!! The local bears were only just beginning to come out of
hibernation, so all considered this sighting a special treat.

Other than a few
seagulls swooping down to pluck bits of stolen sweet rolls out of a passenger's
hand, no other wildlife was seen in the Bay.

What a glorious day!

KETCHIKAN
(Saturday, May 11)

Although Ketchikan
had been in a five-week drought before our arrival, it truly did stand up to its
reputation as being the Rain Capital of North America!!! We awoke to an all-dayer
of belting down, non-stop, relentless, driving rain whereupon the Wal-Mart
ponchos were dragged from our suitcases, unsheathed from their plastic cases,
and donned, not being removed until, like drowned rats, we straggled back to the
ship several hours later, all souvenirs in hand.

Ketchikan is
charming, population 8,000. It seemed that each and every shop owner and local
who we encountered, went out of their way to make our visit special. You bet,
they want you to leave the money behind, but they were all so very gracious
about it, you were almost happy to do so. The Creek Street area is touristy but
also another "must do"- set on a canal.

Don't shop there,
however, unless you are seeking something unique, such as in an artist's
boutique. The main souvenir shops (can't miss'em) have the same merchandise for
half the price. We did rather enjoy Dollys Place, merrily balanced on the
boardwalk above the canal. Dolly was Ketchikan's, much loved, very busy madam.
At three bucks a pop, she was bringing in 75 to 100 dollars per day in her
prime!

Ketchikan is very
pretty. The homes and shops are brightly coloured and welcoming, perhaps
deliberately, so as to off set the dreariness of every day rain.

It appears to have
developed a cottage industry in knitting/sewing and embroidering shops who offer
their wares internationally, on-line. Jean had occasion browsed through a store
or two in that vein.

The rain-forest
oddity also offers several tours of which we were unable to avail ourselves, but
which would be of most interest.

FOOD, GLORIOUS
FOOD!

The food, the food,
the food!!!!! Where does one begin????

Being casual by
nature, the concept of free-style appealed to us from the beginning.

The freedom of eating
when, where, and with whom you wish was an added consideration that we felt
would remove any time-pressures if we were enjoying other activities.

There are two main
dining rooms, The Terrance and The Four Seasons, each offering breakfast, lunch
and dinner. Each of these rooms is large, perhaps seating as many as 400
diners, both well appointed and both having magnificent floor to ceiling views.
As with most restaurants, some tables are better situated than others. We seemed
to go through a bit of a run where we were being seated near main service
stations that were a little noisy. When asked and if possible, the Maitre'D
will try to change your table. The wait staff is busy but accommodating,
efficient, but fun. There is a most definite hierarchy in place in all dining
rooms, from bussers to wine-stewards, to junior servers to room managers to
Maitre'D's and each person seems very aware of their raison d'etre.

The food is not haute
cuisine, but most certainly more creative than anything at my home table. A
typical breakfast would offer fruits, sweet-rolls, cereals, eggs of any variety,
bacon, ham, sausage, porridge, French-toast, waffles, pancakes, omelettes, Eggs
Benedict, etc, etc. Typical lunches and dinners consisted of salad, soup,
appetizer, entrée and dessert courses, selections far too lengthy to list. The
portions are not huge but can be mixed, matched, duplicated and re-ordered, such
than no one could ever walk away from a table without groaning Desserts are
not their area of expertise and can be hit and miss.

The Italian
restaurant, Trattoria, was a smaller room, perhaps serving 200 and was open for
lunch and dinners only. Strangely enough, although we ate there a few times, I
cannot recall having pasta, probably because it is a main staple at home. It was
in this room that we noted the one and only "off" experience of the cruise. The
room was unusually busy and frenetic. Diners were waiting too long for service,
yet the servers were scrambling madly. Something was amiss!! That's when the
invisible ship's officers became visible. Other than a money-making
photo-opportunity with the Captain, the high-ranking officers were never seen.
When the brass walked in the room, a large man with a serious scowl, accompanied
by a slight, female petty officer, he stood, for a full five minutes, studying
each and every station, table, server, diner in the restaurant in an effort to
determine where they problem lay. He barked something at his minion and they
marched out. Within five minutes, she had returned with a little army and had
taken over as Maitre'D. Whatever had gone wrong in that room had been addressed
and rectified by NCL at the first possible opportunity.

The Sport's Bar is
the fourth restaurant. As boisterous as any sport's bar, we often had lunches
there as they prepared imaginative ethnic meals where we would sample different
taste treats.

The Pizzeria and BBQ
Pit can duo as 6. They were for the very casual pizza/burger/fries meal, but
only open in good weather. We did not have the opportunity to partake at either
of these venues. Oh no - we missed eating somewhere?

Le Bistro is the
alternative upscale restaurant, and for a $10.00 per person upcharge we made
reservations for the Mother's Day Sunday evening meal. The room is very
intimate, with no more than 10 tables and having an inside exposure, offered no
window view. To compensate, it was elegantly decorated with a refined hand. It
sparkled with crystal and silver. The china was Lamoge. The flowers were fresh,
almost as fresh as the charming Richard, our personal host for the evening.
Grilled Pacific Salmon and flaming crepes-Suzette were the order of the day. A
wonderful end to a wonderful week.

The Highlights:

· The
porridge, delightfully authentic and served with brown sugar and hot cream.
· The escargot, suitably awash in a heavily garlicky/buttered, sopping up
sauce.
· The lobster tails, grilled to just done perfection
· The Beef Wellington served medium rare, but with a duxcelle that would
torment Jean before the evening was over.
· The rack of lamb, rare inside and encrusted with crunchy pistachios
outside
· The Woodland soup, served in its tasty little bread bowl.
· The grilled salmon luxuriating in a light Sorrel sauce
· The Osso-bucco, falling off the bone and sweet marrow melding
throughout
· The Caesar salad (there should be a salad somewhere here)
· The sushi/satay appetizers in the Observation Lounge
· The Chocoholic Buffet at midnight, outrageously decadent

To quote one of the
entertainers, on opening a show, "Why are you people here, you haven't eaten in
20 minutes"? "Get back to a dining room."

Special thanks need
to be inserted here to our own Personal Food Guru, Nan, who kept us alerted to
the daily fare, and especially to the hours of restaurant openings and closings,
lest we miss a meal!J We all offered our combined commiseration at her not
attaining the Eggs Benedict Nirvana that she was so salivating. With such
vigilance, how was this missed?

THAT'S
ENTERTAINMENT!

Steve was the Cruise
Director. Among others, his staff included our favourites, Carrie, a real
go-getter whose antics we enjoyed thoroughly and Bruce, a little more laid back
but the perfect straight man for Carrie.

We first met this
dynamic duo at an afternoon horseracing event held in the Stardust Lounge.
Later, Carrie regaled us with a wicked impersonation of our very droll, very
monotone Captain that nearly had us on the floor with laughter. They greeted us
at the 50's Sock Hop, featuring Elvis impersonators and hula hoops, and the "Who
wants to be a Millionaire"? event. They excel at interacting with the passengers
and much uproarious hooting and hollering always seems to follow them.

The Jean-Ann Ryan
dancers, a troop of top-notch performers, enthralled us with as professional a
Bob Fosse/All That Jazz type show, every bit as upbeat as we have seen on
Broadway or in Toronto theatres. They were amazing. Other entertainers, such
as Steve de Pass should have special mention. Of the "shows" that we saw, we
would consider them first-rate. Jean & Jackie availed themselves of a few other
shows while Nan and I spent, and the operative word here is, "spent", some
quality time at the Casino, a venue that I'm not sure should be under the
heading of entertainment! Perhaps masochism is a better descriptive!

NCL is reputed to
have the best entertainment in the Wonderful World of Cruising, a fact to which
we would all agree! From art auctions, to trivia games, to libraries, to
sports activities and programs, to spas, to tours, to Internet access, to TV in
your cabin, it would be hard to imagine being bored at any time. You can be as
busy as you wish, or not!

SPECIAL MOMENTS

· Most
definitely first on the list would be the Champagne that Don & Janice arranged
to send with their best wishes for a great cruise. We were all very touched by
their gesture and toasted the first bottle to their honour, knowing their hearts
were with us. Just wish I could have "crashed" it into the bow of the ship, but
they wouldn't let me! The second bottle was hoarded away for our private
tail hour the next evening, where we had a weepy reminisce and toast to Mom and
to the entire Murray family and then to the entire ship, and then to the entire
Universe.......OH, BROTHER!!!

· Next in line,
with apologies to Jean, was watching her turn green, no really, I do believe she
actually turned a mild shade of mint, at being offered, 'round mid-night of the
first evening, an appetizer. It was just an ordinary appetizer, flaky and warm
and served on an attractive silver tray by this particular Bar's very attractive
hostess. The mere sight of more food, caused Jean's hand to fly to her mouth,
jump to her feet, cry out her apologies to her better practiced sisters and flee
the room for fear of, shall we say, emptying her contents in public view.
Nevermind, she stoically soldiered on and acclimated rather quickly after the
initial indoctrination.

· While nothing
came to fruition, but perhaps worth a mention, I did become engaged twice on the
cruise, both times to staff members of The Wind. Sadly, the older, more
experienced, Keith, a womaniser of some fame, would always revert to his mantra,
while rolling his eyes, and in his lovely Island lilt, "Well, it's a long
story", when confronted with his indiscretions. Equally sadly, the younger, but
vibrant Lichardi, wanted 10 children! Jackie tried to negotiate 5 kids and a dog
and cat, but he was adamant. 'nuff said!!

· On the last
evening, ship heading back into Vancouver, we were taken home by an amazing
school, no, schoolyards of Porpoises. Unlike the "baby" ones we had encountered
at Juneau, these guys were big, strapping, fun-loving blokes, just a 'rippin
and 'playin along side the ship in huge numbers. It was as if they were
enjoying that final, beautiful sunset as much as we.

· Every moment
of every day that we spent together. Sharing our loves, our heartaches, our
hopes, our dreams, enjoying the ease of being together within an aura of non-judgemental
love... OOPS, GETTING SAPPY AGAIN. Stop it Marg.

ALL GOOD THINGS
MUST COME TO AN END:

It seemed that it had
only just begun, and now it was ending with some bitter sweetness holding all of
us together until the last moment, helped along by some twist of logistics that
had us waiting in the same airport boarding area for each of our homeward
flights, only 1/2 hour apart.

It was precisely
during that time, that my Old Prince Charming, Roger, who had held my hand so
gallantly, just one week before, started to announce the boarding order of Snow
White's West Jet flight to Calgary!

He said, "Welcome to
West Jet Flight 29, now boarding for Calgary", " For those passengers wearing
sandals, you will be boarded first" "Next up will be those with runners,
sneakers, or any other type of Sport's shoe". "Next in line will be the
shoeless". "After that, everyone else wearing any other kind of shoe can come on
in".

On hearing his words,
we all exchanged knowing glances. It had started off as a Fairy Tale just as
surely as it was ending as one!.